CRKT M4-02 EDC Folding Pocket Knife: Assisted Opening Everyday Carry, Satin Blade, Thumb Stud, Liner Lock, G10 Bolster, White Bone Handle, Pocket Clip

I've bought the M4-02 (bone/G10) about a month ago and have carried it every day since and I gotta say, I love this knife. Absolutely love it. It looks great, feels great, and functions wonderfully. For comparison, my previous EDC knives have been the Kershaw Leek, Kershaw Dividend, and the SOG Twitch II and while the M4-02 is certainly thicker and heavier than those, it just feels the best. The bone/G10 has a great tactile feel and the weight feels like you got a real knife in your hand. Saw no issues with the fit and finish. No problems disengaging the liner lock (the fatal flaw with my Kershaw Dividend). I had no problem flicking the blade out. In fact, once you get a feel for it, its very easy and satisfying. If anything, the action of the blade flicking out may be a bit aggressive for some. The size is just about perfect for an EDC, even with my over-sized mitts. Fits in the 3rd pocket diagonally just fine, though, like I said, its a bit thicker than what I'm used to. If you want slim, go for the Leek. My one issue with this knife is the thumb stud. The grippy bit is unnecessarily coarse and sticks out rather far. It may not be kind to my jeans in the long run. But that is a minor issue for me. I like this knife so much that I am very tempted add the other variations to my collection. My other EDC knives may not see use for quite some time. EDIT: I loved this knife so much that I got the other two variants, the wood and the antler handle versions. The fit and finish varies dramatically. The wood handled version, the metal lining was not polished flush with the scales in certain places. Not a big deal, but this was not an issue with the bone handle version. The antler version had to be replaced due to the liner lock not locking correctly upon deployment (which was fortunate because I wasn't too happy with the particular scales on the knife, aesthetically speaking). I received a replacement and the blade/lock functioned perfectly and the scales looked better, though I did noticed that the shape of the scales was dramatically different, as far as how the edges were rounded off. The previous version had much more of a beveled/rounded off shape where the new one was much more square. So its a bit of a 'luck of the draw" as to what you will receive.

After a lot of research, I decided to purchase the CRKT M4-02W. This is a second and more refined version of the M4 created by famed knife maker Kit Carson. The model has been in production for years, and has a large following. My research brought me to read many reviews. Most reviews were good, others mentioned issues that caused owners to rate the knife more middle of the road. Of those reviews, some had to do with the fasteners coming loose, something I've encountered in other knives, but nothing a little thread compound (like Loctite) didn't solve. My M4 knife has not had loose fasteners. The majority of the issues reported with the M4 were with the assisted opening (some examples of those comments are listed here on Amazon). I too had an issue with the opening mechanism, but as the manufacturer states, the knife loosens up after initial use, and mine did too. I took it a bit further, by loosening the adjustable assist spring, but now after more use, I may tighten it back up. Overall, this is a very high quality knife, with a thick blade, adjustable pivot and an auxiliary locking system. The walnut finish doesn't perfectly match from one side to another, but I didn't buy it to show and compare left and right sides to my friends. The walnut looks great, had small expansion gaps between scales and the metal frame, making it easy to clean and I assume if the wood swells it won't break against the frame from pressure. This is a wonderfully designed knife, and in my opinion it is well with the money. CRKT offers a lifetime parts replacement guarantee too back it up. Each user buys a knife for a specific reason, mine was the need for a gentlemen's knife for every day carrying. Do your research, and find the type that bests suits your needs. Happy hunting.

This is a really nice looking knife but it had a few flaws that needed attention right out of the box. After a little work this went from a 3 star to a 5 star review. First: The liner metal had very sharp edges. If you opened the knife and ran your fingers over the opening where the blade is stored when folded you'd find the edges so sharp they could have cut skin under the right circumstances. Second: The blade took some effort to swing open with the thumb screw. And when slowly closing it you could feel resistance where metal rubbed on rough metal. Both issues were easily fixed after buying a T06 Torx drive and removing the blade from the handle. There are some bronze washers that are on either side of the blade pivot hole that were supposed to make movement smooth and even but I found the washers to have rough surfaces. Using a Dremel tool with a polishing pad I simply polished the sides of the washers plus I polished the blade every place it contacted metal. The sharp liner metal edges were smoothed with a thin file that I ran over the handle very carefully. The result is a knife that is not uncomfortable to hold and is much easier and smoother to open and close with one hand. BTW this knife is a bit heavy at 3.6 ounces. Compare that to a 2.8 oz SOG Flash 2. But the balance is nice and the whole thing feels more solid and refined compared to the Flash 2.